Mantis Kung Fu is a martial arts academy located in downtown Vancouver and teaches the 350 year old style Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Founded by Grand Master Wong Long, this style of Kung Fu was developed in secret after Wong’s Shaolin temple was burned to the ground by the Manchurians and the monks were forced to flee to the mountains for safety. It was in China’s Shan Tung province where the Praying Mantis style was first developed and would be passed down for generations until migrating to Vancouver in 1979 with Master Al Cheng.

Upon his arrival in Vancouver, Al Cheng immediately began teaching his unique style of Kung Fu to eager students out of his small martial arts studio in Chinatown. It was during this era that Cheng began teaching Jon Funk- the man who would eventually carry the torch for Master Cheng and continue on the legacy of the Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu style. All throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, Cheng and Funk would travel the city searching for martial arts schools and challenging them to test their discipline in club fights. Since all challenges were accepted quietly and matched behind the closed doors of dojos across Vancouver, we will never know if there was a style that was equal to or possibly even defeated that of Cheng and Funk’s, but we do know that the Praying Mantis style continues to grow and is successfully utilized to this day.

As a symbol of respect for this piece of Vancouver’s history, Vancity Original® has resurrected a largely forgotten era in our culture and will remind the world as to why we are both dominating and deadly.

Mantis Kung Fu will be part of the Vancity Original® for Chinatown Collection, which is slated for a Chinese New Year 2015 release. Available exclusively in-store at Dipt and online at www.vancityoriginal.com. 

Written by Jason James

Jason is an artist and freelance columnist. You can also contact him here and here.